Console wars: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive sales figures vs snes sales figures
Genesis sales (Aug 1989-2001): 25,639,461 : Genesis 1-3 + Nomad (without considering other console variations nor the Sega CD and the 32 X sales)
Genesis : other licensed console variations (1993-1996): between 100,000 and 200,000 units (estimate). Ref(s): above
Total Genesis Sales (2002-2020): unknown (29 different licensed versions of Sega Genesis released*)
*Sales estimates are only available for one of these 29 versions: Sega Genesis Classic Games Console, two 2016 editions (USA, AtGames, 2016): Around 1,000,000. Reference:
https://consolevariations.com/variation/console/atgames-sega-genesis-classic-games-console.
Even considering that the other 25 versions released between 2004 and 2016 sold less than a quarter of the 2016 version in North America, we would have at least more 6,000,000 units.
Genesis: other licensed Console variations (2004-2016): 7,000,000 (estimate)
Total Genesis Sales (1989-2016): 32,539,461 (estimate)
Total Genesis Sales (1989-2020): unknown
Snes Sales in 1991+1992: official 6.9; Corrected sales figures: only just more than 4 million units
Total Snes Sales in North America (1991-2016): 19,533,930 (16,733,930 corrected)
Sega Genesis vs Snes in North America (1989-2016): 32,489,461 vs 16,733,930
References:
https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Fourth_generation_of_video_games
This firs reference is wrong about snes sales figures in 1991 and 1992:
* "With the Genesis often outselling the SNES at a ratio of 2: 1, Nintendo and Sega both focused heavily on impression management of the market, even going to the point of deception, with Nintendo claiming it had sold more consoles in 1991 than it actually had, and forecasting it would sell 6 million consoles by the end of 1992, while its current US install base at the end of 1992 was only just more than 4 million units. ". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis, with these two references:
CVG Staff (April 14, 2013). "History Lesson: Sega Mega Drive". CVG. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013. Granted, the Mega Drive wasn't met with quite the same levels of enthusiasm in Japan, but in the US and Europe the Mega Drive often outsold the SNES at a ratio of 2: 1.
Schilling, Melissa A. (2006). Strategic management of technological innovation. Indiana University: McGraw-Hill / Irwin. P. 292. ISBN 978-0-07-321058-2. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016.
Brazil:
Total number of licensed Mega Drive console units produced and sold by TecToy in the country (1990-2012): around 3 million
Total number of licensed Mega Drive console units produced and sold by TecToy in the country (1990-2020): around 3,500,000 (3,200,000 until 2016)
Nintendo had a major investment in the country with the merger of two large Brazilian companies (Gradiente and Estrela) forming the company Playtronic. It officially sold Nintendo consoles in Brazil between 1993 and 2002. Mega Drive maintained an 80% market share in Brazil and alone sold much more than all nintendo consoles during these 10 years. The sum of all Nintendo hardware sales in Brazil (including NES, Super NES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and GameCube) was 2 million units, while Mega Drive alone sold about 3.5 million of units.
Reference: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playtronic
Mega Drive was also dominant in the second largest market in South America: Argentina.
The Americas:
Therefore, with corrected numbers, sales of snes in the Americas should not have exceeded 18,000,000 units.
Total Sales Figures in Americas (1989-2016):
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: over 35,739,461 (estimate not including sales between 2017-2020; only North America and Brazil included).
Snes: 18,000,000 (estimate with correction); 23,350,000 (without correction)
Other regions (outside Americas and Japan):
Mega Drive (Western Europe, 1990-1997), only models 1 and 2: 9,170,000
Mega Drive (Western Europe, 1990-1997), other licensed models: total sales figures unknown
Mega Drive (Western Europe, 1998): unknown sales figures
Mega Drive (Western Europe, 1999-2001), only models 1 and 2: 486,666
Mega Drive (Eastern Europe, 1990-1997): total sales figures unknown (over 100,000)
Mega Drive (Australia by Ozisoft): around 500,000
Mega Drive, New Zealand: unknown sales figures
Mega Drive, Africa: unknown sales figures
Mega Drive other licensed models (Europe and Australia, 2004-2020): unknown sales figures
South Korea (as Super Gam*Boy and later as Super Aladdin Boy, 1990-1993partial): 147,000
South Korea (as Super Aladdin Boy and later as Mega Drive, 1993partial-1999): unknown
"Other" Asia: total sales figures unknown (over 300,000 - estimate)
Asia: other licensed licensed models (2000-2020): sales figures unknown
Mega Drive (other regions outside Americas and Japan, 1989-2016): 14,716,388 (estimate, not including Mega Drive sales between 2017-2020)
Snes (other regions outside Americas and Japan, 1989-2016): 8,590,000
Total worldwide sales figures outside Japan (1989-2016):
Mega Drive / Sega Genesis: 50,455,849 (estimate without considering Sega CD and 32 X sales)
Snes: 26,580,000 with correction or 31,930,000 without correction
Japan
Mega Drive (Oct 1988 -1995, model 1 and 2): 3,580,000
Other official/licensed models (1991-1996): 468,500
New official/licensed models (2001, 2005): unknown sales figures
Mega Drive: 4,108,500 (sales 1989-2016, estimate, not including Mega Drive sales after 2006)
Super Famicom (1990-2016): 17,600,000
Total sales figures worldwide (1989-2016):
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: 54,564,349 (estimate)
sfc /snes: 44,180,000 (with correction) or 49,100,000 without correction
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Add-on Sega CD / Mega CD: 6,000,000*
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Add-on 32 X: 1,230,000*
*not included in the Mega Drive/ Sega Genesis sales figures
More information on Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Sales Figures at:
The Real and Most Complete Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Worldwide Software Sales Figures:
http://segaclassics.blogspot.com/2020/07/console-wars-real-and-most-complete.html
http://segaclassics.blogspot.com/2020/07/console-wars-real-and-most-complete.html
